Month: June 2015

I stopped in at Center of the Universe Brewing Company in Ashland, Virginia and enjoyed a flight of their beers, all of which were very good. The one I especially liked was the El Duderino White Russian Stout. This was absolutely delicious.

Getting to Abita from New Orleans is an interesting trip. The drive across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge absolutely looks like a bridge into the ocean or a bridge to nowhere. Over 20 miles of bridge. But the trip is well worth the drive.

The Abita Brewing Company tour is well worth the time. The tour guides greeted us and gave us ample time to taste Abita beers. In fact, they allowed visitors to pour their own beers, opening up the taps to us. In countless brewery visits and tours this is the first time I’ve enjoyed this kind of hospitality. And, I must say I took advantage of it. I tried many of the offerings on tap.

The mainstay Abita Amber is a solid go to amber beer. Period. Purple Haze is a refreshing beer with a hint of raspberry – from the raspberries included in the brewing process. Wrought Iron IPA is an absolutely delicious IPA – I heartily recommend this. The beer that surprised me was the Strawberry Harvest Lager. I found this to be delicious and refreshing. I really enjoyed this. Andygator is intense. How about I just leave it at that. I tried the Two Boots Saison and concluded I’m just not sophisticated enough for this. I was delighted with the Macchiato Espresso Milk Stout – smooth and delicious. And I filled my cup with Abita Root Beer for the road which was also delicious.

Did you catch that they let us pour our own samples. WOW.

So maybe the key to all this success is the Abita Springs water. Or maybe they’re just great brewers. Or both.

Seriously, if you’re ever in New Orleans or otherwise near the brewery you need to stop by!

I stopped in at Old Rail Brewing Company in Mandeville, Louisiana for lunch and a beer. The daily special of cornmeal crusted catfish simply could not have been any better. Absolutely perfect! And the Echo Sierra Bravo ESB (Extra Special Bitter) was a great pairing – the recommendation of the bartender. The ESB was nice and malty; delicious. I also enjoyed the Cow Catcher Stout after lunch and enjoyed its rich chocolatey flavor.

I stopped in at NOLA Brewing in New Orleans, Louisiana and tasted a few beers. The NOLA Brown was solid. The Citra Rebirth was a delicious citra hopped IPA which I really enjoyed. The Double Hopped Hopitoulas was heavy and sweet. And the Rumplestoutskin was a delicious stout aged in rum barrels.

Back at Crescent City Brewhouse in New Orleans, Louisiana in January 2017 – Red Stallion Ale and bowl of gumbo. You simply can’t beat this combo. The beer is malty sweet plus hoppy at the same time – very easy to drink – perfect with the gumbo. Makes for a hearty meal.

I stopped in at Crescent City Brewhouse in New Orleans, Louisiana for dinner and a beer. The seafood gumbo was delicious. Spicy and filling. And I paired the seasonal Kolsch with it which was perfect. A great dinner after a long day of travel. Every time I travel to New Orleans I stop in at Crescent City Brewhouse.

I stopped in at Atwater Brewery in Detroit, Michigan and knew what I wanted right away – Vanilla Java Porter! This has got to be one of my all time favorite beers. Clearly my favorite porter. I wish we could get this back home.

I stopped in at Motor City Brewing Works in Detroit, Michigan for dinner and a beer. I had the summer veggie pizza special. This was the first time I’d ever had kale on a pizza. It was delicious. I’d recommend Motor City Brewing Works just for the pizza. It’s always freshly made. Outstanding! I wanted a light and refreshing beer to accompany the nice warm day and the pizza. The server recommended Summer Brew which was perfect. Light and refreshing with a hint of orange. I also tried the Ghettoblaster which is one of their signature beers and this was superb. A great malty flavor.

I stopped in at Arbor Brewing Company in Ann Arbor, Michigan for a quick pint and greatly enjoyed the Euchre Pilsner. The bartender recommended it based on the pleasant summer day and it was the perfect recommendation. Light and refreshing. I also had a taste of the sour beer on tap which was also delicious.